That red glucagon kit ...

One of the few times I actually like to carry glucagon with me is when I'm travelling, since I pretty much am never travelling alone. I'm going to be doing a lot of travelling over the next six months, so am going to get a prescription for a glucagon kit from my doctor when I see him in March.

The last few times I've picked up a glucagon kit it didn't come in the nice red case that you guys down in the States get. Instead, it came in a flimsy cardboard package. This discouraged me from bringing it anywhere because a) there were no instructions (other than the unfolding 8-point-font ones), b) there was no nice, visible, bright red case to carry it in, and c) the package got crushed as soon as I tried putting it anything. I did rig up a case that came with one of my Humalog pens so that it worked, but that only solved the last problem and was not the greatest solution because you had to be careful when opening it that the needle didn't fall out onto the floor.

I swear I remember having a glucagon kit when I was a kid that was in a red case, but I went for about ten years not getting one as a teenager/young adult, and now none of the pharmacists I've tried talking to over the past few years have any idea what I'm talking about. Even Lilly reps I talked to at a diabetes conference a few years ago had no idea! Is this something the U.S. has but for some reason Canada doesn't?

Any Canadians know how to get a case? Maybe I just need to buy a different brand of glucagon or something (the last few were Lilly) ...

Maybe I'll print that out and take it to the pharmacy with me so they know what I'm talking about ... I don't understand why I remember having it as a kid but it's seemingly not available now. Very annoying!

I think the cost is around $100 and they last a year or a year and a half (I have the cost covered so don't pay). I don't think storing it in the fridge makes any difference, since the glucagon is in dry form.

I'm just not a fan of glucagon. The expense is significant and, if I "check out" on my own, the likelihood of doing so near somebody who will know what the hell to do with a glucagon kit seems very remote.

I generally agree, which is why I don't normally carry one around with my daily stuff. But when I'm travelling my blood sugars are generally out of whack compared to normal (and we all know even "normal" can be unpredictable!), and I am also always sharing a hotel room with someone I'm travelling with, so I'm truly almost never alone.

As for the expense, I view it similar to my EpiPen ... I get one every year (and it's a similar cost to glucagon and expires after a similar timeframe) and have never actually needed it because I'm so careful about what I eat. But if I DID ever need it, I would rather have it around than not. I am not quite convinced glucagon is as life-saving as epinephrine, though ... there seem to be mixed opinions on that one.

I agree. We have a kit, but in 50 years of D it has only been used one time. And I was so very sick the next day as a result. My husband uses them as a security blanket when we go the Europe, but has never needed to use one. That's the only time I take it anywhere.

AR is correct. In normal life, no one would search my purse looking for glugagon; they would call 911. If I was with it, I would never use it on myself.

I have one at work and home, they cost me 55.00 US. The Novo kit comes in a orange plastic case with visual instructions on the lid. Lilly also has a CD my Endo gave me one to show my wife and,my administrative assistant at work. If someone gives you the GlucaGen® and does not keep you turned on your side you will probably aspirate food particles into your lungs and this will almost always causes phenomena. The case makes it easy to spot but strangers are probably not going to rifle through your personal belongings while your passed out and the Police and EMS will never use your GlucaGen® kit.

I did the same as KMD - called Eli Lily and they sent two to the pharmacy that I use. The pharmacy was going to give the other one to the next person that came in and got a glucagon kit. The pharmacists never knew that you could get them from Eli Lily either, but I am sure they have told others since.

I was like you and didn't know how to carry the kit when it only came in a cardboard box. I actually put it in a hard sunglasses case, but always worried that someone wouldn't know where to look. I have since labelled the red case with "Glucagon Injection Kit - for use in low blood sugar emergencies". I also show people that I am around on a regular basis (co-workers, friends, etc) where it is and how to use it.

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